KR-102963912-B1 - Cell block and battery pack and vehicle including the same

Abstract

A cell block according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells, a lower housing having an internal space for housing the cell assembly, a coolant contained within the lower housing, an upper housing mounted on the upper part of the lower housing and having at least one venting hole, and a sealing bracket interposed between the lower housing and the upper housing and configured to seal the outer surface of the cell assembly and the inner surface of the lower housing.

Inventors

• 장성환
• 박명기

Assignees

• 주식회사 엘지에너지솔루션

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20240930

Claims (14)

1. A cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells; A lower housing having an internal space to accommodate the above cell assembly; Coolant contained within the lower housing above; An upper housing mounted on the upper part of the lower housing and including at least one venting hole; and A sealing bracket interposed between the lower housing and the upper housing and configured to seal the space between the outer surface of the cell assembly and the inner surface of the lower housing; Includes, The above cell assembly is, A cell assembly cover that encloses and accommodates the plurality of battery cells; and A through hole provided in at least a portion of the cell assembly cover. Includes more, A cell block characterized in that the sealing bracket is located in an area above the surface of the coolant.
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4. In Article 1, A cell block characterized in that the lower housing includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet.
5. In Article 4, A cell block characterized in that the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are located in the lower region of the sealing bracket.
6. In Article 1, A cell block characterized by being configured so that the venting gas is vented in the upper region of the sealing bracket.
7. In Article 1, The above sealing bracket is, A base portion having a receiving portion configured to allow the cell assembly to pass through; and A sealing part configured to contact the inner surface of the lower housing and seal the lower region of the sealing bracket. A cell block characterized by including
8. In Article 7, A cell block characterized in that the above-mentioned receiving portion is configured to seal the lower region of the sealing bracket.
9. In Article 1, A cell block characterized by having a structure in which the edge of the sealing bracket is bent upward.
10. In Article 7, A cell block characterized in that the above-mentioned sealing bracket further includes an inclined portion between the base portion and the sealing portion.
11. In Article 7, A cell block characterized in that the sealing portion is configured to be interposed between the lower housing and the upper housing.
12. In Article 1, The above-mentioned sealing bracket is a cell block characterized by including an elastic material.
13. A battery pack characterized by including at least one cell block described in any one of claims 1, 4 to 12.
14. An automobile characterized by including at least one battery pack as described in claim 13.

Description

Cell block and battery pack and vehicle including the same The present invention relates to a cell block, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile. Unlike primary batteries, which cannot be recharged, secondary batteries refer to batteries capable of charging and discharging, and are applied not only to portable devices but also to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by electric power sources. Currently, widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium-polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. The operating voltage of these unit secondary battery cells, or unit battery cells, is approximately 2.5V to 4.6V. Therefore, if a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack is formed by connecting multiple battery cells in series. Additionally, a battery pack is formed by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel depending on the charge/discharge capacity required for the battery pack. Accordingly, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack can be varied depending on the required output voltage or charge/discharge capacity. When configuring a battery pack by connecting multiple battery cells in series or parallel, it is common practice to first configure a battery module consisting of at least one battery cell, preferably multiple battery cells, and then use at least one such battery module to configure the battery pack by adding other components. Here, a battery module refers to a component in which multiple battery cells are connected in series or parallel, and a battery pack refers to a component in which multiple battery modules are connected in series or parallel to increase capacity and output. Meanwhile, there is a growing need to satisfy the requirements for fast charging and thermal propagation safety of battery packs based on customer needs. However, in the case of conventional battery modules or packs, heat generation is controlled mainly through indirect cooling such as edge cooling, which has resulted in a problem of reduced fast charging performance. Meanwhile, to apply a direct cooling method to improve high-speed charging performance, a sealing structure must be secured; however, such a sealing structure presented a problem in that it was difficult to ensure safety regarding heat propagation in the event of a thermal event. In other words, in a direct cooling structure using coolant immersion, sealing the entire cell block is a prerequisite to ensure that the insulating coolant remains inside the cell block. However, if the entire cell block is sealed in this way, there is no space for high-temperature gases to vent in the event of a thermal event, which poses a problem as it significantly increases the risk of cell block explosion. The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention provided below; therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. FIG. 1 is a drawing for illustrating a cell block according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 1. FIG. 3 is a drawing for illustrating a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a drawing for explaining a battery cell included in the cell assembly of Figure 3. FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a sealing bracket according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing for illustrating a sealing bracket according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cell block of Figure 1 cut along A-A'. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cell block of Figure 1 cut along B-B'. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of a cell block according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a drawing for illustrating a cell block according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining a battery pack including the cell block of FIG. 1. FIG. 12 is a drawing for explaining a vehicle including the battery pack of FIG. 11. The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Accordingly, in some embodiments, w